Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	adversary_n	lord_n	zion_n	25	3	8.9270	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45333	An exposition by way of supplement, on the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth chapters of the prophecy of Amos where you have the text fully explained ... : together with a confutation of Dr. Holmes, and Sir Henry Vane, in the end of the commentary / by Tho. Hall ...	Hall, Thomas, 1610-1665.; Homes, Nathanael, 1599-1678.	1661 (1661)	Wing H431; ESTC R18972	450,796	560

behold to incite both our Attention and Intention it calls for our ears and eyes 3 Here is the matter to be marked and that is the command and charge of God to destroy his people for their provocations The Lord commandeth and he will smite the City q. d. you have not to doe with an impotent man but with an Omnipotent God who as he hath made all things so he hath them all at his beck to help or hurt us as pleaseth him Hee needs not Armies he needs not Instruments to confound his adversaries it is but speaking and it is done Psal. 44.4 148.5 Q. How doth the Lord smite the City when hee only commands that it should be done A. It is a Rule Quod quis per alium facit per sel facere videtur In that the Lord commands the Assyrians and Chaldeans to destroy vers 14. he is said to doe it himself because they were but his rods and the instruments in his hand to chastise his people whoever be the Actor yet God is the Author 4 Here is the Universality of this destruction he will bring down great and small he will cause the Assyrians and Babylonians to smite the great house with breaches and the little house with clefts The word which we render Breaches signifies also droppings which by little and little rot the house and so make breaches and ruptures in it but in this place it properly signifies ruptures and breaches They were all incorrigible and incurable both great and small and therefore now they shall be punisht and perish together both houses and inhabitants Their Palaces and great Houses in Sion and Samaria should have a great down-fall and the lesser houses should chop and chink and moulder away By these expressions the Prophet intimates that both noble and ignoble should perish together as they had overthrown the Law and all equity vers 12. so now God overthrows them Some conceive that the Prophet here alludes to some Earth-quake which should make breaches and clefts in their houses but the Prophet confutes these and tells us that it shall be done by the hand of an enemy vers 14. Others Allegorize and apply this to the two Kingdoms of Israel and Iudah which are called two houses Isa. 8.14 By the great house say they is meant the Ten Tribes which did excell in wealth and dignity By the lesser house is meant the Kingdome of Iudah which was little compared with Israel the Kingdom of Israel should be so ruined by the Assyrians that it should never be repaired but the Kingdom of Iudah should only have some clefts and chawns made by the Babylonians which were in part made up again after the seventy years Captivity in Babylon by Ezra and Nehemiah OBSERVATIONS 1 Matters of moment must especially be marked Great Judgements were coming upon this People and the Lord by an Ecce Behold labours to awaken them to the consideration of them The birth of Christ is a matter of great moment and therefore the Angels come with a Behold Luk. 2.10 the seasons of grace are matters of great moment and therefore a double Behold is set upon them 2 Cor. 6.2 Our Original Sin is a matter deeply to be thought on and therefore it hath an Ecce setupon it Psa. 51.5 and so on the Day of Judgement Iude 7. Revel 22.7 2 Warre and Pestilence are Gods Servants which come and goe at his beck and commandment As all Creatures are his Servants Winds and Seas and Sun obey him Iob 9.7 so all Armies are his he is Lord of Hosts and if he but stamp or hiss for an Enemy or call for a Pestilence on the Land they readily obey Isa. 7.18 19. Levit 26.25 Ier. 47.6 7. he can destroy the most potent enemy by the most impotent and contemptible means as Froggs Flies Lice Psal. 105.31 If he say to such and such Diseases Go seize on such a man or such a woman they go if he bid them cease they cease We should not therefore bribe the Sergeant but compound with the Creditor Run not in your sickness and distress to Physick or Friends but make peace with God in the first place and then all shall be at peace with you We should also be patient under all Dispensations looking at Gods hand in all seeing him ordering and disposing all for the good of his This will make you dumbe and silent when you see it is the Lord that doth it 2 Sam. 16.10 Psal. 39.9 Ioh. 18.11 3 Obs. Universality in sin brings universality in suffering The generality of this people were corrupt and now they are generally ruined As rich and poor were Idolaters Apostates and Prophane so now they should be ransackt and ruined together 4 Obs. Sin brings a curse on our dwellings and layes famous fabricks in the dust as I have shewed before on verse eight VER 12. Shall Horses run upon the Rock Will one plow there with Oxen for yee have turned judgement into gall and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock IN the precedent Verse the Lord threatned a general Judgment against these general Sinners but they trusting to their owne strength and glory feared no Judgements but conceited that the Lord who had taken them into Covenant with himself and adopted them for his owne peculiar people and adorned them with many Priviledges above the rest of the Nations round about them would not deal so sharply with them as the Prophet threatned but would take some gentler course plowing them still by his Prophets and labouring to reclaime them by their Ministery To this the Lord answers in this Verse by a Prolepsis he prevents this evasion and vain conceit telling them that it was to no purpose to take any more pains with them or to correct them with gentler rods for they remained still obstinate and perverse falling away more and more growing worse and worse so that he did but plow the rocks and so break his Plows without any increase and sow the sands losing his labour on them and therefore he is now resolved that his Spirit should no longer contend with such rockey rebellious Sinners nor his patience wait any more upon them The Interrogation is a strong Negation Shall Horses run upon the rock or Oxen plow there No they will not they are not fit places for such purposes and doe you think that I will alwaies sing to deaf men and bestow my cost and care upon such rockey and hardned Sinners that will bring forth no fruit It is a Proverbial speech and signifies lost labour and therefore we use to say of such as labour in vaine They goe about to plow the rocks and sow the sands Interpreters vary much in their Exposition of this first branch of the verse See five various senses in a Lapid● and six in our large Annotations that which I have given with submission to better judgements I conceive to be most genuine and best agreeing with the

this That it was in vain for them to trust in their Mountains Riches and strong Cities since other Nations with their Metropolies which were greater and stronger than theirs were now decayed and ruined That Almighty hand which brought them down notwithstanding all their Ammunition and Fortifications will also bring Israel down notwithstanding all their riches and strength Behold therefore as in a glass whither Luxury Oppression Security and abuse of Mercies hath brought those Cities and do you fear by their Examples The summe of all is this O yee Inhabitants of Jerusalem and Samaria that glory in Mount Sion and trust in the Mountain of Samaria Go and see what I have done to Calneh Hemath and Gath three potent populous famous Cities seated in three different Kingdomes viz. Babylon Syria and Palestina consider how I have made them a desolation for their sins and have brought their borders into a narrower compass though they were larger and pleasanter than theirs and were fortified both by Art and Nature Bee warned therefore by their example and go not on in your Idolatry Luxury Security and Obstinacy lest you also become a desolation like to them OBSERVATIONS 1. Wee should diligently observe and carefully consider the Iudgements of God on others We should not let a judgement passe that we see at home or hear of abroad without learning something of God from it As wee should consider his mercies to make us love him so we should consider his judgements to make us fear him Hence 't is that God bids his people here Go Go Go Go to Calneh Go to Hemath Go to Gath and consider what I have done to them for their sins Go not with your feet but with your affections go not in body to view the ruines of those places for that you may do and be never the better but in your Meditations go thither and observe Gods hand upon them to awaken you As a man may go to Heaven even whilst his body is on earth yet by Meditation hee may ascend thither so by Meditation we may go to Germany Savoy Ireland Poland and see Gods Judgements there Do not barely think of Gods Judgements but ponder every circumstance and rest not till you have suckt some benefit out of them and got your heart affected with them Wicked men never once think of God or his judgements they forget him daies without number and he is not in any of their thoughts and as for his judgements they are far above out of his sight or if he sleightly think of them that is all But you must know that there are three Acts of the Soul 1. Cogitation 2. Meditation 3. Consideration Cogitation is a thought and away Meditation is a dwelling longer upon an Object But Consideration looks round about and weighs all Circumstances of Judgements and Mercies that they may take a deeper impression upon our hearts and this is that which the Lord so oft calls for Hee would have us consider our waies to humble us Hag. 1.5 7. His Iudgements to fear us Iob 23.15 His Mercies to allure us 1 Sam. 12.24 His Word that wee may attain the practical knowledge of it 2 Tim. 2.7 This consideration fortifies the soul against sin it layes before us the losse and hurt which attends upon sin so that wee cannot rush into it with that boldnesse as the wicked and inconsiderate do Ier. 8.6 2. Gods Iudgements on others must awaken us Their destruction must be our instruction As Gods people here must go to Calneh Hemath and Gath so he bids them go to Shiloh and consider what hee did to that priviledged place and be warned by their woes Ier. 7.12 'T is a great favour when the Lord teacheth us our lessons on other mens books and backs making them examples unto us when hee might have made us examples unto them 3. Sin brings famous Cities to ruine Wee see here three famous Cities with all their Territories made a desolation for their sins Let men make walls as high as heaven and ditches as deep as hell yet if sin reign within it will ruine all Deut. 18.9 12. This brought the Kingdome of Israel into the hands of the Assyrians 2 King 17.7 to 19. and Iudah into the hands of the Chaldeans Sins especially crying sins do emasculate mens spirits and weaken the hearts and hands of a people so that they become an easie prey to a cruel adversary VERSE 3. Yee that put far away the evil day and cause the seat of violence to draw near IN this Verse the Prophet goes on with his charge especially against the Judges Rulers Counsellours and those in Power and Authority in the Kingdome of Iudah and Israel Hee chargeth them in this Verse with two sins which were the effects and evidence of their security before mentioned Verse 1. The first is the contempt of Gods Threatnings God oft foretold them by his Prophets that Judgements were coming upon them but they would not beleeve it but put the evil day far from them Sleighting Gods Threatnings as if they had been but fables and would never surprize them Though they walk in wayes of wickednesse adding sin to sin and daily provoked the Lord to anger yet they blest themselves in their evil wayes promising themselves peace and prosperity for all that They were setled upon their lees and lived without any fear or thought of danger giving themselves up to Idlenesse Wantonnesse Pride Luxury Violence and all manner of Iniquity not once thinking of the destruction which was coming upon themselves and the Kingdome Yea they counted it a loathsome thing as the word in the Original signifies once to mention the evil day They were so given up to mirth and jollity that they would not once hear of sorrow They thought themselves priviledged by having the Temple and Gods worship amongst them against all storms and tempests But the further they put away the evil day the nearer it was to them and though they could have wished there had been no such day yet their wishes were but vain for the Lord had decreed to bring a dismal day upon them and it is not the counsels of men but the counsels of the Lord that shal stand and the thoughts of his heart unto all generations Psal. 33.10 11. As they had their evil day of sinning so God was determined to bring upon them an evil day of suffering Q. But what was that evil day A. The evil day here meant was more especially the day of their Captivity when the Assyrian should come and carry away Israel and the Babylonian should come and carry away Iudah out of their own Land into Captivity and banishment This evil day the Prophet calls before a day of darkness and not of light Amos 5.18 19 20. The words are read by some passively thus Yee are separated and set apart by divine Justice for an evil day even for a day of banishment and slaughter q. d. Yee

Verse the Prophet thunders against the secure and sensual Inhabitants of Iudah and Israel and especially against the great ones Qui ut divitiis sic vitiis primi fuere as they abounded in wealth so in wickedness also who gave themselves to Pastimes and Merriment in despight of the Prophets threatnings and that in a time when Gods Judgements were round about them Though Amos were primarily sent to Israel yet Iudah being partaker with them in Sin he all along in this Chapter joyns them together in reproof In the words we have 1. A Iudgement denounced included in the Particle H●i Woe which is used three waies in Scripture 1 By way of Commiseration when we are grieved at the calamities which we see are coming upon a people Ier. 6.4 13. ult Micah 7.1 2 By way of Imprecation when we pray for the destruction of the incurable enemies of Gods Church Psalm 40.14 15. 3 There is a woe of Prediction and denu●tiation which is the Woe here meant where the Prophet fore-tells and denounceth Judgements temporal and eternal against this obstinate and back-sliding people Hee threatens them with a Woe of Captivity and general desolation here which was but a fore-runner of their eternal destruction hereafter And this woe of denouncing miseries against an impenitent People is very frequent in Scripture as Isa. 3.11 5.11 18. Ezek 16.23 Mat. 11.21 23.23 25. Luke 6.24 The Prophet had oft fore-told them of evils approaching but they were no whit awakened thereby but Princes and people still lay secure and sung a requiem to themselves putting the evil day farre from them therefore the Prophet falls to denouncing Woes against them the better to awaken them out of their deep sleep and security The Woe prefixt in the front of this Verse is to bee understood in the rest of the Verses as vers 3. Woe to them that put the evil day farre from them Woe to them that lye upon beds of Ivory c. vers 4. Woe to them that chant to the sound of the Viol vers 5. Woe to them that drink Wine in bowls ver 6. 2 Here are the Persons against whom this Judgement is denounced and those are 1 Secure wealthy sinners who lived quietly and carelesly at ease in pomp and pleasure without any fear of Gods judgements or any sense of his displeasure This more especially concerned the great ones of those times who took no notice of Gods hand on their inferiours though the Regions round about lay wast yet they lay snorting and secure in their fenced Cities making their guts their God and sleighted all his threatnings they were full themselves and they little regarded who else wanted 2 He thunders against Carnal confident-ones who trusted in the Mountaine of Samaria that is they trusted in the strength and riches of Samaria their chief City as if it were invincible and by reason of its situation impregnable They trusted not in God but in their wealth and walls 3 Ungrateful men God had made them the Head of the Nations and brought them into Canaan a Land flowing with Milk and Honey and by his owne Almighty Power he planted them there and drove out the Canaanites before them Psal. 44.3 78.55 but they forgot the God of their Mercies and fell to Luxury and Riot He made them the chiefest most famous and renowned of all the Nations he had separated those twelve Tribes from all the rest of the World to be his owne peculiar people Exod. 19.5 Ier 2.3 they were to him as the flower and first fruits of the Nations whom he prized and preferred before them all To whom the House of Israel came This is another Priviledge these two Cities Ierusalem and Samaria were the chief Seats and residence of their Kings and therefore here was a great confluence of people both for Civil and Ecclesiastical affairs Iudah and Benjamin went to Ierusalem and the ten Tribes to Samaria 3 Here are the Places where those Sinners dwelt and that is in Ierusalem of which Mount Sion was an eminent part and therefore is oft put for Ierusalem it self à parte praestantiori fit denominatio this was the Metropolis of Iudah as Samaria was of the Ten Tribes Samaria is principally threatned yet because the other two Tribes were their brethren in sin therefore he threatens them with parity of punishment The inhabitants of these two chief Cities were more secure and sensual in the midst of Gods Judgements than other parts of the Land and therefore the Prophet deals more sharply and roundly with them and by a Prolepsis prevents a cavil whereas they might object that they were the chief of the Nations and all the people resorted to their Cities for Justice and for the Worship of God and therefore they concluded that God would not destroy them Yea therefore saith the Prophet God will destroy you because you sin against such Mercies and Priviledges OBSERVATIONS 1 The Scripture is full of Divine Rhetorick and Eloquence Carnal-worldly-wise-men look upon the Bible as St. Austin did before his conversion as a book of a low incompt unlearned stile This very sixth of Amos will in part confute such The Prophecie of Esay abounds with such a fluent divine grave and lofty stile that all the eloquence of Cicero and all the flowers of Demosthenes with the rest of those admired Heathens is but as Chaff to Wheat and Dross to refined Gold Hence the Scripture is compared to a pleasant Garden bedeckt with Flowers and a rich Garment beset with Pearls when the depth of learning that there lyes hid is uncovered then the glory of the Word doth affect us and leaves a deep impression of its excellency upon our spirits VVee should not therefore barely read the VVord but search the Scriptures and dig those Mines that wee may the better finde out the Golden Oare Iohn 5.39 VVee should also bless God who hath given such variety of gifts unto men for the good of his Church Some are Eloquent Orators Isa. 3.3 Others are Acute Disputants and mighty in convincing as Apollos Act. 18.24 28. Some are milde and gentle as Barnabas others more fierce and fervent as Peter and Paul Some excel in Prose others in Poetry as David who is stiled the sweet singer of Israel many spiritual songs are scattered up and down the Scripture but none excelled in that gift like David who was more especially inspired by the Holy Ghost and singularly qualified for that purpose All these hath God gifted for the good of his Church 1 Cor. 3.22 Observ. 2. Those that are highest in Priviledges may bee nearest to miseries Woe to Sion first and then to Samaria So Rom. 2.9 Wrath falls upon the Iew first and then upon the Gentile To be secure in other places was sinful but to be dead and carelesse in Ierusalem the City of the Living God where his Temple and Worship was this doubled their sin and therefore the Prophet

Emphatically sets a Woe upon their heads Woe to them that are at ease in Sion 3. Gods Ministers must denounce Woes against the wicked As they must proclaim promises to the penitent so they must denounce judgements against the obstinate They must make a difference to some they must shew lenity and to others severity Iude 22 23. What dreadful woes do all the Prophets denounce against impenitent sinners Christ who was love it self and in whom there was no gall nor guile yet how many dreadful woes did he denounce against the hypocritical Pharisees even eight woes together Mat. 23.13 14 15 16 23 25 27 29. If men will be so bold as to proclaim their wickednesse Ministers must be so bold as to proclaim their woes 4. Woe and sorrow is the portion of secure sinners Both Legal woes and Evangelical woes temporal spiritual and eternal woes The Law cryes Woe to such sinners and so doth the Gospel but Gospel-woes are the sadder of the two for if the Law say woe to us yet the Gospel may say mercy to us but if the Gospel say woe to us where shall we finde mercy 'T is true sinners may laugh and be merry in the acting of sin but woe and weeping is in the conclusion Luk. 6.25 The end is death Rom. 6.21 As all the promises of Grace and Mercy hang over the heads of the godly and drop blessings upon them which way soever they go so clouds of wrath hang over the heads of the wicked dropping judgements upon them even in their highest prosperity when they think themselves most free from misery The mirth of every secure sinner that goes singing to hell is no better than madnesse for where security goes before destruction ever follows When men cry Peace Peace then comes sudden and swift destruction Luk. 12.19 20. 1 Thes. 5.3 Secure Laish became a booty to its enemies Iudg. 18.27 Carelesse Ethiopians shall be made afraid Ezek. 30.9 And carelesse Daughters shall be troubled Isa. 32.9 10 11. God is much displeased with a people when the fire of his wrath shall beset them round about and yet they remain unhumbled and insensible Isa. 22.12 13. and 42. ult 5. God usually fore-warns us of woe before hee sends woe Hee first cuts men down with the sword of his mouth before he cuts them off with the sword of his hand Hee delights not to take sinners at an advantage but loves to exercise his patience towards them that they might repent as wee see in both the destructions of Ierusalem the one by the Caldeans which was fore-told by the Prophets and the other by the Romans which was fore-told by Christ. But of this at large elsewhere 6. Carnal Confidence ruines a Land When men forsake God and trust in men and mountains in Kings and Kingdomes in Guards and Garrisons both they and their creature-confidences shall perish for as there is no policy so there is no power or fortifications that can defend us against God Prov. 21.30 31. Use means wee may but we must not Idolize them prepare armies and strong-holds but not trust in them They are branded that trust in Riches Psal. 52.7 9. and cursed that trust in men Jer. 17.5 6. 7. Ingratitude is a God-provoking and a Land-destroying sin God had made this people the head of the Nations and chose them for himself from amongst the Nations but they fought against God with his own blessings and as they were increased so they sinned against him abusing the good Land which hee had given them to Idolatry riot and excess till at last the Land spewed them out VERSE 2. Pass yee on to Calneh and see and from thence go to Hemath the great then go down to Gath of the Philistims bee they better than these Kingdomes or their borders greater than your borders THE Prophet goes on to awaken Israel and Iudah out of their security and to drive them from their carnal confidence in their Mountains Ammunition and fortified Cities to this end hee sets before them Gods Judgements on the Assyrians Caldeans and Philistims those Idolatrous and Heathenish Nations whose bounds were larger and their Cities stronger than theirs Hee instanceth in three Calneh Hamath and Gath. 1. Calneh this was an ancient wealthy great City built by Nimrod after the Flood in the Territories of Babylon Gen. 10.10 It was afterwards inlarged by the Parthians and called Ctesiphon and was made the Metropolis of the Kingdome 2. Hamath called here the great and mighty City to distinguish it from a City of that name in the Land of Israel Iosh. 19.32 35. It lay on the North side of Israel and was a boundary of the promised Land Numb 13.21 34.8 Zach. 9.2 'T was built by Antiochus and thereupon called Antiochia and was the Metropolis of Syria 'T was destroyed by the Assyrian for all its power and greatness Isa. 10.9 3. Gath a strong City of the Philistims well known to Israel for its enmity against them 2 Sam. 1.20 'T was at last taken its walls were broken down and it made tributary to others 2 Chron. 26.6 These bordering famous Cities were well known to them and therefore the Lord instanceth in them though under them synecdochically other flourishing Cities which were made a desolation may also bee included Hee bids them See and diligently consider the downfall of those places that their falls might make them fear and flye from security oppression and carnal-confidence lest they bee ruined as these were and they bee made an example unto others since they will not bee warned by others Bee they better than these Kingdomes or the borders of their Land greater than your borders These words admit of some difficulty Some make the Interrogation a Negation q. d. Are these Nations better than yours in no wise for do but compare your Kingdome of Iudah and Israel with those Kingdomes your Cities with their Cities and your borders with theirs and it will easily appear that none of those Nations are better than your Nation for either they are Tributary to others or ruined God hath done more for you than for them in many respects the greater is your sin and the sorer will your punishment bee if you abuse so pleasant a Land and such rich mercies to the dishonour of him that gave them Thus they bring in the Lord upbraiding them for their ingratitude that they had not rendred according to the mercies hee had shewed them This sense is good and many learned men go this way and though it must bee acknowleded that if wee look on Canaan Israels Land with all its priviledges it was the glory of all Lands Ezek. 20.15 yet other Nations might surpass it for strength and greatness of Cities for largeness of borders and for amenity and fruitfulness of soil as Babylon did But with submission to better judgements I conceive the Interrogation to bee here an Assertion and the genuine sense of the place to bee